A Day at the Beach
by InOrderToLiveLife
Summary: Modern A/U - Inspired by photoset from Tumblr by chelsie-carson. Charles has longed to summon up the courage to ask Elsie out. Instead of the conventional dinner date, Charles steals her away from the office for the day. Will the day turn into something neither of them expected?


The sun had long set, they had basked in its dying yet glowing warmth and had already spoken about everything; yet they had continued to talk. They always managed to find something to talk about. Elsie could not know how they did it; but she knew that Charles Carson was quickly turning into something more than a work colleague. Their actions of the day had proven that.

With the weather forecast promising a gorgeous summers day, a long day in stuffy office seemed to appeal to Elsie Hughes in the very slightest. Nevertheless, she had been up and ready to face another tedious and exhausting day at Downton Advertising. While Elsie set about having her toast and tea for breakfast, her phone beeped.

_Text Message - From: Charles Carson_

_Hi Elsie._

_Wondering if you'd be interested in coming on a shoot today for the new Speedo swimwear line? Robert's asked me to check that everything's above board and I suggested that I could use your help. He was fine with it. Plus, it'll make for a short work day. Bring your togs and we'll spend the rest of the day if you like. I know the weather's supposed to be brilliant today. Let me know if you're keen._

_Charles._

Elsie had been caught off guard, but in an oddly delightful way. Her stomach began to flutter as she began to compose a text message back.

_Text Message - From: Elsie Hughes_

_Hey Charles._

_That sounds great! Much better than spending all day in the office. Shall I meet you there? If so, what time?_

_Elsie._

_Text Message - From: Charles Carson_

_I'll pick you up in 45 minutes. Be ready, make sure you have togs, towel and sunblock. We'll make it a proper trip to the seaside. I'll be sure to bring my bucket and spade._

_Text Message - From: Elsie Hughes_

_Sounds fabulous. I shall be prepared, I may even bring my pocket money buy us an ice-cream. See you soon._

Charles was prompt in picking Elsie up. He smoothed out his pale blue shirt for what felt like the thousandth time as he waited for her to answer the door. He grew suddenly nervous and guilty, he had wanted to spend time with Elsie away from the office for the better part of the year, but had great difficulty in doing so. Even at the Christmas party filled with Dutch courage, Charles hadn't managed to gain a moment alone with her; she was the constant centre of attention. So, instead he had devised this ruse to steal her away for the day under the pretense of work. They weren't _really_ going to the Speedo photo shoot. Charles had told Robert that he and Elsie would make sure that this beach would do the trick for the campaign. _Up to snuff_, as Charles had put it. Robert had approved and now here Charles was with his palms sweating waiting for Elsie answer her door.

The door swung open and Elsie greeted Charles with a grin.

"Hello Charles, how are you?"

He couldn't think, she looked beautiful. Stunningly gorgeous in her white cotton dress and brown sandals. Her hair was down, chestnut loose curls resting on her shoulders. It was then he had realized that this was the first time he had seen her out of her work clothes; and it had rendered him speechless.

"I-I'm well thank you, and yourself?"

"Oh very relieved to spending the day at the beach instead of the office,"

Charles led Elsie to the car. They hopped in the car and set off. Charles couldn't stop thinking about how stunning she was today, he bit the bullet and spoke.

"That dress is lovely Elsie,"

"Why thank you, it's my first purchase of the summer in fact."

"You know, I realized today, that we probably haven't seen each other in anything other than our work clothes," he awkwardly stated. _Smooth Charles. You are a right git when you want to be._

Elsie chuckled, "Yes, I suppose it would be. I must admit, seeing you in a shirt without a tie is quite a shock, but not as much of a shock as you in shorts."

Charles grimaced, he didn't think that the shorts looked all that bad.

Elsie noticed his frown, "That's not to say that you are shocking in shorts, actually you look quite spiffing in them. It's a pleasant change."

They smiled at each other and continued to talk, mainly about work.

When they had reached the beach, Elsie looked around for the crew that were working on the shoot. Nowhere could she see anything, but she followed Charles onto the sand.

"Charles?"

"Mmm?" Charles replied, busying himself with laying down the blanket he had brought.

"Where are we supposed to meet the others on the shoot?"

"Oh…about that Elsie, I have a bit of a confession to make," he felt sick now, wishing that he had just had the courage to invite her to dinner like most adult males do.

"Go on,"

"Well, there isn't a shoot for another month. I told Robert that you and I were to inspect this beach to make sure it would do for the shoot. But in fact, I know that there would be no better beach than this one," Charles paused and looked at her she still looked puzzled with her teeth nibbling her lip. She did that often, in meetings and such. It always drove him to distraction. _Not now Charles, don't let that distract you now. You need to keep talking. _"Sorry, I'm rambling. Long story short, I invited you here today because I have been trying to summon the courage to ask you out for more than a year, and this morning I impulsively decided this was going to be the only way to be able to spend time with you. Hence the excuse of work," he concluded with a huge sigh and tensed up for a reaction, if there was anything that Elsie Hughes was famous for it was her stern dressing downs.

Elsie just stared in disbelief, she could not believe that he had gone to so much trouble just to spend the day with her. _It would have been much easier to ask me to dinner_, she thought to herself. She knew she should have been ready to lecture him about honesty and integrity between colleagues. But she had wanted him to do something like this, _perhaps not exactly like this_, for some time. Elsie blinked the tears away that were forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I've upset you,"

"No, you haven't. You've just managed to overwhelm me. A lot,"

"I apologize profusely,"

"Stop it,"

"No, no, I mean it. I am so very sorry Els-" and with her lips, Elsie Hughes had managed to finally shut up Charles Carson. Charles deepened the kiss, pulled her toward him with his arms firmly around her waist. She smiled against his lips.

"Perhaps we should go for a swim,"

"Perhaps we should,"

The rest of the day had past so quickly. Charles and Elsie had had the most wonderful day at the seaside. Elsie bought them both an ice-cream as promised, Charles built a sand castle as promised. However, they had spent the day talking about all manner of things. Family, past lovers, great tragedies, school days, travel tales, where they want to travel, where they want to be and who they want to be. Elsie could not remember a better day, and they still were here in the dark by the water talking.

"So, Mr. Carson?"

"Goodness, Ms. Hughes, you have not called me that for years,"

"That is true, but I have a serious question,"

"And what might that be?" Charles had turned over onto his stomach as the tide lapped up against his front.

Elsie saddled up beside him and lay soft kisses on his shoulder.

"Do you love me, Mr. Carson?"

He hadn't expected this question so soon, but he had revealed that he had been pining after her for sometime. Their day together was beyond any dinner that he could've taken her out on, and he had loved her in his secret heart for longer that he would care to admit.

He turned to his shoulder where her head sat and her eyes standing out in the moonlight. His voice just above a whisper, "Yes, Ms. Hughes. I believe that I do love you, and have for quite sometime."

Elsie shut her eyes in deep relief, tears streamed down her face and the biggest grin had spread across it. She bit her lip, "Thank God for that," she leaned in and kissed Charles, "I know we've only spent the day together, but I think we've wasted enough time getting to this point."

"That is true Elsie, but may I ask you a question?"

"Of course,"

"Do _you_ love me?"

"Daft man, more than anything. For longer than I'm willing to admit. How else do you think you would have gotten away with this little stunt today?"

"I don't know, I suppose I-" and for the second time that day Charles Carson was silenced by the lips of Ms. Elsie Hughes. Charles thought they looked like Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in _From Here to Eternity_. _Only Elsie Hughes is far more beautiful than Deborah Kerr,_ Charles thought as he smiled against Elsie's lips.


End file.
